Focus your lens

When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. - Ephesians 1:13b

The Holy Spirit’s best work in people is seen in how He changes the way they relate to one another. You want the best parts of your character displayed in your kids. It brings us great joy when we see the positive qualities, actions and words manifesting through our children.

God's grace is so amazing, how can we ever not give that same grace to others that we come into contact with, fully knowing the price that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ paid for us on the cross. Once you receive the full grace of God and truly encounter the Holy Spirit, you could never intentionally not forgive others of their short comings....

We are reminded in the parable of the unforgiving servant of just how important the act of forgiveness is, and that the gift that is undeserving, yet given to us through grace, needs to be given as abundantly as possible...FORGIVE..FORGIVE..AND FORGI

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Because of THE ONE

"For, if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17

Life has a way of throwing curve balls. One minute it seems "all is well" and the next it is as if "all hell broke loose." Ever noticed that?

When things are good you have a song in your heart and a whistle on your lips. BUT, when things go sideways and upside down, oh my. That's often a different story. Gone is the song AND the whistle.

In our text today, notice the Power of One.

Through ONE man, Adam, death reigned. You were sold out to be born with a sin nature.

However, the GOOD NEWS: through ONE man, Jesus Christ, that debt was paid on your behalf when you accepted His gift, repented of your sinful nature and invited Him to be your Lord and Savior...that, my friend, changed everything.

Now, through the ONE man,

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God Provides

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves." (Psalm 127:2)

Solomon recognized something important. Verse one gave us an insight into human natures' vanity, building a home, establishing a career and raising a family in our own strength and wisdom.

He wisely stated that attempting to do these things without God's involvement...well, it turns out that all of our labor would be for naught in the end.

Human vanity is to attempt to do life without giving God His rightful place in the process.

As The Master Creator and Architect of all life, He knows the ins and outs of each and every situation that we will ever encounter. Not allowing Him to be the foundation upon which we build and the CEO of our lives is indeed unwise.

It also robs us of a balanced life. Verse two clearly states that we can see when we are out of bounds...we rise early and stay up late toiling for (fill in the blank).

The implication So

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

Peace that surpasses all understanding

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Phillipians 4:6-7

Oh, the amount of times I have said this scripture. It has become my husband's daily declaration. He and I were discussing this challenge of "overcoming anxiety" recently.

We discussed our personal experiences and then looked at Jesus. He perfectly demonstrated to us how to overcome.

Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew His time had come, He had totake all our sin upon Himself and conquer death, hell and the grave.

He knows what He is about to endure. He's on His face before Father God, sweating, sweating drops of blood. His petition, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Then Je

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

"I see me free"

Pamela (Winderweedle) Hillman has a powerful story of redemption that God is using to help many overcome difficult life circumstances, of their past or present. Following are some messages Pamela shares with others how God led her to complete freedom to bring healing and redemption to their lives. She lives her life with purpose, on purpose, for God’s purposes today. 

Helping the Disenfranchised
She shares the current condition of the prison system and what is required to change the current recidivism rate (those who return to prison within 3yrs) from more than 75% to 8%, which is the rate for faith-based programs. She has developed a 5-Phase Incentive Program, TREM, Therapeutic Interventions combined with Biblical Specialties, where each lady has a mentor that “Walks-Along-Side” each lady “Student” for a full year in prison and a year long program with tools to provide necessary Technical and Business training when they are released. Pam

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

Our thoughts are powerful.

Anxiety is a perfectly normal emotion. However, in excess it becomes dangerous. Its intent is to erode and corrode our mental, spiritual, emotional, physical health and well-being.

Anxiety's cousin is worry. Have you ever met someone who says, "If I don't have something to worry about, I worry about that." For many, worry is a constant friend. Anxiety can be like that too.

I've discovered something that helps me when I realize I'm getting worked up. I take a step back, detach from the emotional whirlwind and look at the situation objectively as though I were observing it from afar.

When I do that, the turmoil that accompanies anxiety begins to disappear like how a dust devil in the desert loses its momentum and fizzles out to nothing. From that vantage point, I can begin to change the narrative. I give it to the Lord in prayer, if indeed, it really is something worthy of causing me to feel anxious. Is this something I want to

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

SAM's STORY

Sam sat bent forward with his face in his palms. A bead of sweat running down his face, hanging from his chin for a split second before dripping to the ground.

He stared at the wet spots on the ground before him. Several drops fell moments before this one. Thinking, hoping, wishing that the ground would get soft enough to swallow him in, to make him disappear from the face of the earth.

He was tired, he didn't sleep the previous night. He was worried about the
meeting with his director coming up in a few hours. He was scared, tired, fatigued and irritated all at the same time. He never felt so much anger in his life before.

His muscles were tense in his neck and back. What will he do when he gets fired, how will he tell his wife, how will he face his kids and family? He felt ashamed at himself. How could he have taken the conversation this far
with her? How could she have thought he wanted a relationship with her.

How, how on earth! I was o

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

Our thoughts are powerful.

We've discussed overcoming negative inner dialogue, fear of failure and dealing with a poverty mentality in the past few months. I was thinking about these topics and realized that they are foundational for our current subject: anxiety.

Our thoughts are powerful. They can conjure up negative words, emotions and feelings or they can create a sense of peace and well-being.

Discovering the basis for anxiety helps us to overcome the debilitating space
that it attempts to trap us into...a deep, dark hole.

The goal of anxiety is to strip us of the God-peace that passes all our understanding that Jesus has given to us. His God-peace. True inner calmness of mind, soul and spirit. Philippians 4:7b

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing." Live in His God-peace.

Paul and Timothy knew:
"Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled request before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of yo

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

"Jesus is my weapon"

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Severe stressors and traumatic experiences in life can lead to the inability to master personal mental and emotional functioning. Life is a onetime journey that is precious and valuable. However, due to various factors that can contribute to incorrect thinking patterns, many people continuously deny themselves of reaching their full potential. Adaptability is critical. 

My greatest passion is to assist an individual with becoming empowered spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically by perceiving each person as a uniquely made creation.  In efforts to guide adults and families towards a personal journey of healing,I have acquired knowledge in therapeutic orientations such as Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. With the capacity to assimilate, associate, and to view others as a component of self, support can then be given for no other reason except to assist individuals with enhancing t

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OVERCOMING ANXIETY 

“Be still, and know that I am God…" Psalm 46:10

Stillness is a challenge for most of us. Especially the hyperactive among us, or those with young kids. It’s often in these moments of stillness that I feel the most anxious.

Being still is not merely a suggestion. It’s essential to a Spirit-filled life. 
When we lean into GOD and learn to be still, we can train ourselves to escape the tyranny of anxiety that robs us of the God-peace that JESUS hung on a cross to give us. "...the chastisement of our peace was upon Him." (Isaiah 53:5)

When we quiet the part of our brain that obsesses about the small things, we are able to sit in the stillness and allow the deeper brain to kick in; the part of us that knows—meaningful things like an abiding awareness that the God of the universe is present…and working with us for our good.

And that seems important to remember, doesn’t it? 

I see anxiety as the negative side of stillness. When I am filled with anxiety, every

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